1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains generally to games of chance played using remote location technologies. More particularly, the present invention allows a player to participate in remote bet placement, while simultaneously providing location information on the bettor so that the casino or other game provider can enforce wagering only from places jurisdictions) where it is legal.
2. The Prior Art
Legal game play varies widely from state to state, from the most liberal gaming laws and games found in Nevada casinos to the virtually non-existent gaming (except, of course, for the state itself!) found in a state like Massachusetts. Until recently a person's ability to play games was limited to being physically present at the game's location. This precluded any need to verify the location of the person: if the game was in a legal jurisdiction, so was the person. Further, once a person was age-verified at a gaming establishment entrance no further age-related checks were needed.
All this has changed with the advent of remote location gaming, primarily enabled by the internet. Any person having access to a home computer can (legally or not) participate in gambling using readily available, mostly off-shore, gambling sites. Because of the legal liability associated with enabling a person from an intra-US jurisdiction where gambling is illegal to gamble in a jurisdiction where it is legal, honest gaming operators in the US have been largely precluded from this market.
There is a need to provide gaming operators within the US with a way to enable the use of remote gaming by providing the needed legal assurance of physical locality and adequate age verification of the players.